Rotary web-printing press for bag blanks



June 10, 1930. H. M. BARBER ROTARY WEB PRINTI NG PRESS FOR BAG BLANKS Filed May 4. 1928 4 Sheets-Shef 1 INVENTOR ATTORN EYS June 10, 1930. H. M. BARBER ROTARY WEB PRINTING PRESS FOR BAG BLANKS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 4, 1928 ATTORNEYS June 10, 1930.

H. M. BARBER ROTARY WEB PRINTING PRESS FOR BAG- BLANKS Filed May 4, 1928 4 Sheets-S heet 3 ATTORNEYS June 10, 1930. H.144. BARBER 1,763

ROTARY WEB PRINTING PRESS FOR BAG BLQ'NKS Filed May 4*, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet" 4 I I l I l I l p l l I .F 1 m l 1",; I u I I I: I I IV I N i l I v| INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOWARD M. BARBER, OF IPAWCATUCK, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO'C. B. COTTRELL & SONS COMPANY, OF WESTERLY, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE ROTARY WEB-PRINTING PRESS FOR BAG BLANKB Application filed May 4,

In rotary presses for printing on a web from which bag blanks having projecting tab ortions at their heads (such as the well 'nown Bates bag) are to be cut, it has been usual to arrange the bag blanks with each rojecting tab portion located between the head of its bag blank and the foot of the next succeeding bag blank. This has not only resulted in a great waste of material but has also re uired the form cylinders to be of a circum 'erence equal to two bag blanks plus the two projecting tab portions, or a multiple thereof, thus making the form cylinders unnecessarily large for bag blanks of a predetermined length.

The object of my invent-ion is to save the material by arranging the bag blanks with their heads adjacent and their projecting tab portions overlapping; thereby permitting each form cylinder to have a circumference equal to the combined length of two adjacent bag blanks plus the distance occupied by their overlapping tab portions, or a multiple thereof. This will not only permit the reduction in the size and weight of the form cylinders but will also result in a substantial saving in material.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings,

in which a rotary. web printing press of the character described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 256,663, filed February 24th, 1928, is illustrated.

Fig. 1 represents my improved multi-color rotary web printing press in side elevation, the parts being in the positions they assume when large change form cylinders of corresponding diameters are used for printing the web for long bag blanks. I

Fig. 2 represents a detail horizontal section taken in the plane of the line II of Fig. 1,1ookingin the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 represents a view similar to Fig. 1

with the parts in the positions they assume when relatively small change form cylinders of corresponding diameters are employed for printing the web for shorter bag blanks.

Fig. 4 represents a detail side view showing the inking mechanism stand sections ad- 1928. Serial No. 275,017.

ipsted to another position from that shown in 1g. 3.

Fig. 5 represents a portion of the printed "web showing thereon the lines of cut and fold for producing the tubular bag blanks with their projecting tabs.

Fig. 6 represents a portion of the printed web after it has been foldedinto tubular form.

Fig. 7 represents a cross section taken in the plane of the line VIIVII .of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8 represents one of the tubular bag blanks.

The printing press illustrated herein is designed to print in a plurality of colors on a web in the proper position for bag blanks of various lengths.

The main frame of the printing press is denoted by 1, in which main frame the web supply roll 2 and the impression cylinder 3 are suitably mounted. Four chan e form cylinders .4, 5,6, 7 of corresponding arge diameters and driven from the impression cylinder are represented in Fig. 1 and four change form cylinders 8, 9, 10, 11 of corresponding small diameters and driven from the impression cylinder are shown in Fig. 3, which change form cylinders are mounted in radially adjustable bearings 12, 13, 14, 15, carried b the main frame 1 for bringing each .group 0 change form cylinders into coaction with the impression cylinder. Only two sets of changeform cylinders are represented herein but'it is to be understood that these cylinders may be of any desired correspondving diameters not necessarily sub-multiples of the diameter of the impression cylinder, so

be spaced any desired distances apart within reasonable limits to suit bag blanks of difier ent lengths. I

The web, after it. has left the impression cylinder, may be conveyed to suitable folding that the successive printings on the web may two succeeding bag blanks and with an irregular cutbetween the head ends of two succeeding bag blanks to form overlapping projecting tabs, all as illustrated very clearly in Figures 5 to 8 inclusive.

Each change form cylinder of a group has a circumference equal to the combined length of two adjacent bag blanks plus the distance occupied by their overlapping tab portions, or a multiple thereof.

The means for driving the printing mechanism is as follows:

In Fig. 1 the change gear 30 on the drive shaft 33 is shown as meshing with an intermediate gear 31, which in turn meshes with the impression cylinder gear 21, while in Fig. 3 the change gear 32 of a different diameter is shown meshing with the intermediate gear31, the intermediate gear being adjustable for different diameters of change gears in an arc concentric with the axis of the impression cylinder 3. These change gears may be of the same diameter'as the change form cylinders or a sub-multiple thereof, according to the length of bag blank. In the present instance, in Fig. 1, I have shown the change gear 30 as being one-half the diameter of the change form cylinders 4, 5, 6, 7, while in Fig. 3, I have shown the change gear 32 as the same diameter as the change form cylinders 8, 9, 10, 11.

Because of the provision of change form cylinders of difi'erent corresponding diameters, I have found it necessary to provide means whereby the inking mechanisms for the several cylinders be not only adjustable as a whole toward and away from their change form cylinders but also that means must be provided for moving certain of the inking mechanisms independently of the other inking mechanisms. The inking mechanism stand is divided horizontally into a main lower section 49 and upper and intermediate auxiliary sections 50 and 51. The inking mechanism carried by the main stand section 49 is denoted as a whole by 52 and it is provided with a pair of inking rollers 53, 53, arranged to be brought into and out of coaction with the lower change form cylinder. The inking mechanism carried by the upper stand section 50 is denoted as a whole by 54 and it is provided with a pair of inking rollers 55, 55, arranged to be brought into and out of coaction with the upper change form cylinder. The two inking mechanisms carried by the intermediate stand section 51 are denoted as a whole by 56 and 57, the mechanism 56 being provided with a pair of inking rollers 58, 58, arranged to be-brought into and out of coaction with one of the intermediate change form cylinders and the other inking mechanism 57 being provided with a pair of inking rollers 59, 59, arranged to be brought into and out of coaction with the other intermediate change form cylinder. All of these inking rollers are individually adjustable, as usual, for properly positioning them with respect to their respective change form cylinders.

The sectional inking mechanism stand as a whole may be moved toward and away from the change form cylinders in the usual manner by the hand wheel 60 carried by the main stand section 49. The auxiliary stand section 50 may be adjusted with respect to the intermediate stand section 51 and the said stand section 51 may be adjusted with respect to the main stand section 49 by any desired means.

In the present instance I have shown the main stand section 49 as provided with a cross shaft 61 having bevel gears 62, 62 meshing with bevel gears 63, 63, carried by screws 64, 64 engaging the projections 65, 65 of the intermediate stand section 51; the shaft 61 having a suitable handle 66 for manipulating it.

I have shown a similar device carried by the upper auxiliary section 50 and operated by the handle 67 for adjusting the stand section 50 along the intermediate stand section 51.

The sectional inking mechanism stand as a whole ma be locked in its adjusted position with the inking rollers in contact with their change form cylinders, as, for instance, at the intermediate stand section by a bolt 69 passing through the horizontal elongated slot 68 in the intermediate stand section and also at the upper stand section by a bolt 70 assing through one of a series of holes 71 in t e main frame into engagement with the said stand section.

The bag blank is denoted by 72, the printing impression thereon by 73, the projecting tab portion by 74, the transverse straight line of serrated cut dividing the feet of two adjacent bag blanks by 75, the transverse irregular line of serrated cut dividing the heads of two adjacent bag blanks by 76 and the longitudinal fold lines by 77.

It is to be understood that the folding and cutting mechanism, (not shown herein) for folding the web and cutting the bag blanks from the folded web, is driven from the impression cylinder 3 so that the folding and cutting mechanism may be driven in synchronism with the form cylinders.

It will be understood that. by providing for the overlapping of the tab portions which project from the adjacent head ends of the bag blanks and by providing the form cylinders with a circumference equal to or a multiple of the combined length of two adjacent bag blanks plus the distance occupied by their overlapping tab portions, I am enabled to secure a very large saving in the material and to use a minimum size of form cylinders. It will also be seen that bag blanks of various lengths may be printed in a single printing press with a minimum change therein.

The parts shown and described, but not claimed herein, form the subject matter of my 'copending application Serial No. 256,663, filed February 24th, 1928, hereinbefore re ferred to.

What I claim is 1. In a rotary press for printing on a web from which bag blanks having overlapping tab portions at their heads, are to be cut, an impression cylinder and a form cylinder, said form cylinder having a circumference equal to or a multiple of the combined len of two adjacent bag blanks plus the distance occupied by their overla ping tab portions.

2. In a rotary press or printing in a plurality of colors on a- Web from which bag blanks have overlapping tab portions on their heads, are to be cut, an impression cylinder and a plurality. of form cylinders, each form cylinder having a circumference equal to or a multiple of the combined length of two adjacent bag blanks plus the distance occupied by their overlapping tab portions.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name this 2nd day of May, 1928.

HOWARD M. BARBER. 

